Animated greeting card



y 19'59 H. E. LOHNES ET AL 2,884,724

ANIMATED GREETING CARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1958 R m E V m Howard E.L0hn2s and BYJames J. Krekow'ch y 1959 H. E. LOHNES ETAL I 2,884,724

ANIMATED GREETING CARD Filed Dec. 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Howard E.Lohnes and James J Kpe/row'ch.

A 'T'T'ORNE VS United States Patent ANIMATED GREETING CARD Howard E. Lohnes, Kansas City, and James J. Krekovich, H ckman Mills, Mo., assignors to Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Mis- Application December 18, 1958, Serial No. 781,274 7 Claims. (Cl. 40-65) .This invention relates to improvements in cards for use in extending greetings and the like, and more particularly 'to a card having greetings thereon consisting of one or more parts which may be manipulated to alter the appearance of the card.

" The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in a card or the like with a stationary portion of a card having longitudinal, parallel, spaced grooves therein and having a movable portion slidable in said grooves to uncover figures or sentiments on the fixed or stationary member underneath the movable member.

] Other objects of the present invention are to provide a card or the like foldable at substantially its center and secured together at its free ends; to provide the back of the card with a tongue near the foldable center portion thereof; to provide the front portion of the card with a transverse slot near the outer edge thereof; to provide a member engaging in the longitudinal grooves of the front face of the card and movable laterally across the .card; to provide the movable member with an elongated strip extending through the lateral opening near the outer edge of the face portion of the card for pulling the movable part of the card across the face of the stationary portion of the card; to provide the movable member with a tongue for receiving one end of a resilient member having its opposite end engaging the tongue near the foldable center on the back portion of the card to resist pull on the pulling tab to move the movable portion and to return the movable portion of the card to its original position; to provide a tongue on the back portion of the movable member for engaging in the longitudinal lateral groove of the opposite member underneath the pull portion of the movable member to hold the card in assembled relation, and to provide a device of this character simple and economical to manufacture.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the in r:

vention we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are shown in the accompartying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our card showing the changeable picture arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the movable portion in the extended position to indicate the sentiments or greetings thereunder.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the card shown in open position,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the parts of the card shown in disassembled relation.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a card embodying the features of our invention consisting of a sheet of cardboard or the like 2 having a transverse fold line 3 at substantially the center thereof, which when folded thereon will form a back 4 front member 5. The front member 5 is provided with spaced parallel slots 6 and 7 extending throughout 38 may be utilized for this purpose.

Patented May 5, 1959 the greater length of the front member and near the outer end 8, and spaced therefrom, is a laterally extending groove 9. The edge 8 is provided with a semicircular cutout portion 10, and the end 11 of the back member is also provided with a semi-circular cut-out portion 12 for a purpose later described. The back member is also provided with a cut-out portion near the fold line 3, as indicated at 13, forming a tongue 14.

A movable member 15 is adapted to slide in the longitudinal slots 6 and 7, and consists of a piece of cardboard 16 having longitudinal fold lines 17 and 18 to fold the movable member upon itself forming side flaps 19 and 20, the flap- 20 being adapted to extend over the flap 19 as at 21 (Fig. 4) forming a substantial sleeve of the member 16. The flap 20 is also provided with an elongated pull or tab 22 adapted to extend through the slot 9 of the front member 5 of the card, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The movable member 16 is made from a single sheet of cardboard or the like, and the fold lines 17 and 18 are intersected with irregular cut-out portions 23 and 24 providing outwardly extending side tabs 25 and 26 on the movable member for a purpose later described.

The side flap 20 near the edge 27 is provided with an opening 28, and the opposite side flap 19 in substantial transverse alignment with the opening 28 is provided with a cut-out portion 29 forming a tongue 30 near the edge 31.

In assembling the device constructed as described with the card member 2 in open position the movable member is partially folded on the fold lines 17 and 18 and with the tab or pull 22 extending in the direction of the edge 8 of the front member 5 the pull 22 and side edge 27 are inserted from the outside through the slot 7 and the side edge 31 of the movable member through the slot 6 and folded over the back face 32 of the front portion 5 of the card and the section with the pull tab overlaps the flap 19 of the movable member, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The tabs 25 and 26 formed by the cut-out portions 23 and .24 will extend outwardly from the slots 6 and 7, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, and engage the front face 33 and will be slidable thereon when the movable member is pulled by the pull 22. After the pull is inserted through the slot 7 and folded over the other side flap 19 the end 34 is inserted through the slot 9 from the inside to the outside, and the extreme end will then be on the face 33 of the card, also as illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the end is marked pull and shows an arrow 35 to indicate the direction of pull on the tab.

A resilient member such as a rubber band or the like 36 has one end engaged over the tongue 30 of the side flap 19 of the movable member and its other end extends through the opening 28 and the other side flap 20 and that end h Oked over the tongue 14 of the opposite or back member 4 of the card, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

In order to hold the front and back portions 4 and 5 of the card together we provide the cut-out portion 37 forming a tongue 38 near the edge 11 of the back of the card. The tongue 38 is adapted to engage through the slot 9 in the opposite or front member 5 of the card underneath the pull 22 as shown in Fig. 2.

As an alternate fastening of the front and back portions together, the respective inner corners of the backs of the members 4 and 5 may be provided with adhesive as indicated at 39, or if desired both adhesive and the tongue In operation of the device the folded end 40 of the card is grasped with the thumb and finger, as indicated at hold here (Fig. 1), and the thumb and finger of the opposite hand grasp the pull end 34 of the tab 22 and pulls the movable member 16 transversely along the slots 6 and position.

It will be .obvious from the foregoing that we have provided an improved greeting card or the like wherein the movable member is secured on the stationary member in a new and novel manner not heretofore known.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary member having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot near the outer edge of said front, a tab extendable inwardly on the inside of said back near the transverse fold line of the stationary member, the front of the stationary member carrying greetings thereon, a sleeve-like movable member slidable in said slots on said front, said movable member having an extension forming a pull lying between the front and back of said stationary member with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, the side of the movable member having said pull having an opening therein in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening, and means securing one end of the resilient member to said movable member, the other end of said resilient member engaging the tab on said back whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said greetings and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull.

2. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary member having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot near the outer edge of said front, a tab extendable inwardly on the inside of said back near the transverse fold line of the stationary member, the front of the stationary member carrying greetings thereon, a sleeve-like movable member slidable in said slots on said front, said movable member having an extension forming a pull lying between the front and back of said stationary member with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, the side of the movable member having said pull having an opening therein in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening, means securing one end of the resilient member to said movable member, the other end of said resilient member engaging the tab on said back whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said greetings and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull, and means securing the outer ends of the front and back of the stationary member together.

3. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary member having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot between the outer ends of said slots, the front of the stationary member carrying greetings thereon, a sleeve-like movable member made of a single sheet of material having overlapping edges forming side flaps lying between the front and back and slidable in said slots of said front, one of said flaps having an extension forming a pull with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, said side flap having said pull having an opening in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a tongue on the other flap, and a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening and engaging said tongue, means on said back for securing the other end of the resilient member thereto whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said sentiments and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull.

4. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary member having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot between the outer ends of said slots, the front of the stationary member carrying greetings thereon, a sleeve-like movable member made of a single sheet of material having overlapping edges forming side flaps lying between the front and back and slidable in said slots of said front, one 'of said flaps having an extension forming a pull with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, saidside flap having said pull having an opening in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a tongue on the other flap, and a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening and engaging said tongue, means on said back for securing the other end of the resilient member thereto whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said sentiments and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull, and means securing the outer ends of the front and back of the stationary member together.

5. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary member having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot between the outer ends of said slots, a tab extendable inwardly on the inside of said back near the transverse fold line of the stationary member, the front of the stationary member carrying sentiments thereon, a movable member made of a single sheet of material having fold lines spaced from the side edges thereof, said side edges when folded forming side flaps for extending through the spaced slots in said front and folded oneover the other to embrace the front between said slots and be slidable thereon, one of said side flaps having an extension forming a pull with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, said side flap having said pull having an opening in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a tongue on the other side flap, and a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening and engaging said tongue and having its other end engaging the tab on said back whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said sentiments and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull.

6. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary-menu ber having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot between the outer ends ofsaid slots, a tab extendable inwardly on the inside of said back near the transverse fold line of the stationary member, the front of the stationary member carrying sentiments thereon, a movable member made of a single sheet of material having fold lines spaced from the side edges thereof, said side edges when folded forming side flaps for extending through the spaced slots in said front and folded one over the other to embrace the front between said slots and be slidable thereon, one of said side flaps having an extension forming a pull with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, said side flap having said pull having an opening in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a tongue on the other side flap, and a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening and engaging said tongue and having its other end engaging the tab on said back whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said sentiments and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull, and means securing the outer ends of the front and back of the stationary member together.

7. An article of the character described comprising, a stationary member having a transverse fold line at substantially the center thereof forming a front and back for the stationary member, the front of the stationary member having spaced parallel slots extending throughout the greater portion thereof and having a transverse slot between the outer ends of said slots, a tab extendable inwardly on the inside of said back near the transverse fold line of the stationary member, the front of the stationary member carrying sentiments thereon, a movable member made of a single sheet of material having fold lines spaced from the side edges thereof, said side edges when folded forming side flaps for extending through the spaced slots in said front and folded one over the other to embrace the front between said slots and be slidable thereon, one of said side flaps having an extension forming a pull with its free end extending through the transverse slot in said front, said side flap having said pull having an opening in longitudinal alignment with said pull, a tongue on the other side flap, a resilient member having one end extending through said last named opening and engaging said tongue and having its other end engaging the tab on said back whereby exertion on said pull will cause said movable member to move transversely across said front to expose said sentiments and said resilient member moving the movable member back to its original position upon release of said pull, a tongue on said back extending inwardly and engageable in said transverse slot underneath said pull for holding the front and back together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,308 Miller Feb. 21, 1933 

